The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

Category: Oddities

Who’d’a thunk it?

Snowplow vs. Streetlight

Spotted on one of our regular walks up the hill:

Damaged pole – snow tracks

Vassar College sent a plow along the walking path linking the campus with the faculty enclave on Old Silvermine Place, but the clearance between the lamp pole and the boulder blocking the entrance wasn’t quite adequate.

Some days later, the light fixture was missing and the power cable sported three cheerful wire nuts:

Damaged pole – wire nuts

Another pole has been lying flat on the ground for (at least) the last two years and I’ve always wondered if its wires (within easy reach) were live under their nuts. Knowing the lamp power is 277 VAC from a 480 VAC three-phase service, I’m disinclined to find out.

Yes, I notice such things.

2026-02-16
Deer at the Bird Feeder

This was not included in my threat model for the bird feeder seed trays:

Deer at bird feeder tray

The deer managed to unfurl enough tongue to reach over the edge, but the birds leave very few intact seeds and I suspect the result was just a mouthful of dry hulls.

The woods beyond that large tree is Vassar College territory, with its conspicuous lack of undergrowth due to the overly large deer population eating essentially everything. Vassar has an annual deer cull in the Preserve, but plenty of deer remain in the surrounding area and it’s not unusual to see six deer browsing in our yard.

2026-02-12
Ice Flow

Spotted at the local library:

Roof drain ice

Putting the downspout inside the building probably made architectural sense, but I’d much rather have that pipe on the outside of the wall where a leak won’t be so expensive.

It hasn’t leaked yet, but in a few months I won’t be surprised to learn my tax dollars were hard at work fixing the ensuing water damage.

Taken at maximum zoom through a grubby windshield, so the picture quality isn’t up to contemporary standards.

2026-01-28
Snow Day

Today looks like a good day to fire up the snowblower and clear the driveway:

Snow – 2025-01-26

One of the bolts holding the muffler on the engine worked its way past its rebuilt locking plate and will require attention before getting out there.

Fortunately, it looks like a good day for shop projects …

2026-01-26
Blog Summary: 2025

Few enough folks stop by to make the bump from Hackaday’s mention of the Wasp Blower stand out:

Summary – 2025

Apparently Subaru fuses remain elusive and that old Thermador wall heater retains its hotness:

Post Views – 2025

The WordPress AI came up with this prompt and image based on the minimal text above:

AI Image – 2025

Gotta get me a workshop like that …

The AI Assistant says this post needs improvement:

AI Assistant – 2025

Which is why I don’t use AI for anything …

2026-01-01
OMTech Laser: It Was The Focus Pen Wire

Because the focus pen worked on the bench, I was certain this had to be true:

OMTech focus pen – failed 24V wire

There is a break somewhere along the blue wire carrying 24 V to the focus pen. The signal and 0 V wires are fine.

I updated the original post, because I’m going to use that picture a lot whenever the subject of laser machine wiring comes up.

2025-12-26
Desktop PC Fuzz

Obviously, I haven’t popped the top on this PC for a while:

Optiplex 9020 – intake fuzz

Some fuzz made it past the grille:

Optiplex 9020 – internal fuzz

PSA: In the unlikely event you still use a desktop PC, it’s time to pop the top on yours, too.

2025-12-16